Question

Bit resolution

Fill in the blank. If we want to measure the temperature of a solution in a chemical process to within 0.1 degree Celsius, over a range of 100 degrees, our development board would need a ____________ converter to meet that requirement for accuracy.

A. 8 bit

B. 10 bit

C. 16 bit

D. 32 bit

Answer 1

To measure temperature with 0.1 degree Celsius precision over a 100-degree range, a 10-bit analog-to-digital converter is needed, as it provides 1024 discrete steps, exceeding the required 1000 steps.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the bit resolution needed for a development board's analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to measure temperature with a precision of 0.1 degree Celsius over a range of 100 degrees, we must first calculate the number of discrete steps the ADC must be able to differentiate. The total range of 100 degrees divided by the desired precision of 0.1 degree gives us 1000 discrete steps. Next, we find the smallest power of 2 that is greater than or equal to 1000, which is 1024 and corresponds to a 10-bit converter since 210 = 1024.

Therefore, our development board would need a 10-bit analog-to-digital converter to meet that requirement for accuracy.